ThreadBear Design, also the sole UK importers of Tender Leaf Toys, has signed an agreement with the international non-profit organisation Eden Reforestation Projects to ensure that for every order placed, 10 young trees will be planted.

“This collaboration is at the heart of our sustainability ethos and directly protects the native rubber trees we use to make our beautifully hand-crafted wooden toys and children’s furniture,” say ThreadBear founders Danielle Hanson. and Nick Shirley.

“As designers and manufacturers of wooden toys, we have an obligation to replace the timber we use,” says Danielle.

Tender Leaf toys has already committed to safeguarding the natural environment in Indonesia, where their toys are manufactured by Mentari International. Mentari only uses rubber wood that is felled as a byproduct of the rubber industry and replants every tree used through a local government-run scheme. The ThreadBear Design team spends around two months a year in Indonesia, working closely with Mentari’s highly skilled craftsmen and women. From the arrival of reclaimed timber to the final packaging of goods, every stage of production conforms to the firm’s impressive ethical trading standards.

As a seed partner with Eden Reforestation, Thread Bear is further contributing to environmental restoration and land management. “Eden Reforestation Projects runs one of the most effective reforestation schemes on the planet, creating local jobs and protecting natural habitats.” Guaranteeing the sustainable production of its toys, safeguarding the livelihoods of the local artisans who make them and helping replant the worlds forests for future generations is at the heart of ThreadBear Design’s work.

Says Nick: “It’s good to know that when you buy one of our toys, you are giving a lasting gift not only to your child, but to the Local artisans who made the toy and the communities that grew the trees, not just in Indonesia, but also around the world.